Entropy
by xmidnightcohi
Summary: After an exhausting mission, all Roach wants to do is rest, but Ghost has other plans in mind. GhostxRoach. Slash Oneshot.


"Come 'ere," Ghost said, motioning for Roach to sit with him on the couch. They had just gotten back from a long, troublesome mission. Having to infiltrate a Russian base was risky enough, but halfway through, they were ambushed by a large group of enemies and barely made it out alive. Thankfully, there were no casualties this time. Being the Lieutenant of the task force, Ghost had served for a great number of years. He had even been in SAS, the British Special Air Force, before joining Task Force 141. He'd seen enough allied deaths in his lifetime, and god knows he never wanted to deal with another.

The recreation room was empty except for Ghost and another soldier, an America Sergeant who went by the call sign of Roach. It was well past midnight and all of the other members of the task force had headed straight for bed, most not even bothering to properly clean themselves if that meant more precious time for sleep.

Ghost spoke once more, "Come on, now. No one's around, bug." He looked up at the brunette and patted the worn cushion next to him. He watched as Roach looked around anxiously. Ghost sighed. He understood why Roach was always on edge. He was scared of being caught just as much as Roach was, but he was tired and just wanted the Sergeant in his arms.

Ghost grabbed the other's arm and pulled him down onto the sofa. Roach yelled out in surprise. At the moment, Ghost was glad his signature balaclava hid his amused smile. If Roach knew Ghost found it funny when Roach landed haphazardly on his face and struggled to sit properly, he'd never stop complaining. The Brit waited until the other got finally stopped fidgeting.

"Okay, first things first, you're a dick, and second, the mission totally sucked ass…" Roach grumbled as he closed his eyes and tried to calm his tense muscles. Ghost stretched out an arm on the back of the couch silently asking for Roach to move into the open space he provided. He felt warmth bubble within his chest as the other complied and snuggled close to his side.

"Oh, it wasn't so bad," Ghost chuckled. Roach could feel the soft vibrations of Ghost's laugh and smiled gently, his eyes remaining closed. Roach leaned his head on the other's shoulder and Ghost, in turn, wrapped his outstretched arm around Roach.

"Well, you weren't the one who tripped like a moron in front of everyone. The other guys will never let me live it down!"

"Hey, your clumsiness saved your arse from being shot, and we can't have that now, can we?" Ghost flinched when Roach elbowed his side harshly, "Now, that's not very nice, love."

"You're not very nice!" Ghost squeezed Roach's shoulder in retaliation to his childish antics.

"Remind me once more, Gary. How old are you?" teased the Lieutenant.

Roach opened his eyes and looked up at Ghost, who, despite taking off his sunglasses, still had his balaclava on. Roach was clearly not amused and showed it by crossing his arms and, though he will never admit to it, pouting.

"Yeah, well, you're an old man!" he turned his head away, huffing in feigned anger. He wiggled his way out of Ghost's embrace, ignoring his body's desire to remain surrounded by his lover's warmth.

"I'm 35…"

"I'm 22! I think we all know who lost here."

"Oh, is that so?" Ghost smirked. Roach didn't respond, so Ghost grabbed him by his shoulders and shoved him onto his back. He hovered over him with his hands resting on either side of Roach's head.

The younger looked up in a mix of surprise and confusion, but he could not deny the fact that he was more comfortable in this new position.

"If I was an old man, your lower half wouldn't have been rendered useless after every one of our special trysts. It's either that or I just make one wicked old man."

"You-!" Roach stumbled over his words and his cheeks reddened.

Seeing the blush, Ghost applauded himself. He loved teasing Roach whenever he had the chance. It wasn't his fault the Sergeant was always so easy to rile up.

They continued to stare into each other's eyes, daring the other to make the first move. And that is exactly what Ghost did. He shifted to rest on his elbows so that his face was mere inches from Roach's. He knew the younger man never liked being intimate when the balaclava was still on.

Ghost shifted when Roach fidgeted beneath him. He allowed the other to wrap his arms around his neck. Suddenly, the balaclava was pulled off in one swift motion. The mask was discarded on the coffee table but soon forgotten. Ghost was startled with the sudden exposure but let Roach's little trick slide when he looked into his lover's grinning green eyes. Whenever Roach sincerely smiled, his eyes just glistened beautifully, and it made Ghost weak in his knees. Not that he'll ever admit it. Ghost relaxed when Roach ran his hand throughout his flattened blonde hair as if attempting to spike it up. Now, they equally looked like they'd just gotten out of bed.

Eventually, they moved into a more comfortable position. Ghost shifted his weight onto one arm. He settled himself on top of Roach, their legs now a tangle of limbs on the other end of the couch.

Ghost continued to stare into Roach's bright, green eyes as the younger man brought one hand to caress a scar on his cheek. "Simon…"

"Yes?" he whispered at the call of his name. He leaned in closer to Roach.

"I'm sorry I didn't follow orders today," Roach said breaking eye contact. Ghost remembered how furious he had gotten when he found out that Roach had gotten himself separated from the group again and on unfamiliar enemy territory no less.

"I'm not gonna say it's okay, bug," Ghost sighed, "but I'm glad you're safe. I- I didn't mean to lash out. I was just worried about you. So many horrifying scenarios kept playing themselves over and over in my head, some you don't even want to hear about."

Ghost kept his gaze on Roach's face. His throat constricted with frustrating anxiety. Ghost searched for answers in Roach's eyes when the other looked to him once more. His heart beat faster when Roach brought his arms around his neck again. He allowed Roach to gently guide his head down until their lips connected softly. Despite feeling chapped lips underneath his own, it was the sweetest thing Ghost had ever experienced, and he never wanted it to end. This kiss was the security he so desperately wanted. It was Roach's silent apology for worrying him and forgiveness for Ghost's own shortcomings.

The two continued to lay together, exchanging gentle kisses and whispering sweet nothings ever so often. They were exhausted from the day's work and found comfort in each other's company. Eventually, they shifted on the old couch until they were lying side by side, still in one another's arms. Ghost laid against the backrest of the sofa as Roach lay facing him. They continued to look into each other's eyes, conveying everything that they were not able to say aloud.

"I wonder how long we've been here," Roach's amused thought broke the silence. Ghost smiled lazily, knowing full well that Roach couldn't remain still nor quiet for long. Though, it just seemed like an American thing he'll never understand.

"Not sure, love," Ghost whispered.

"I guess as long as no one walks in on us, we're good," Roach said.

"Oh, but that's the exciting part! There's a thrill to being out in public with the knowledge that, at any moment, someone could discover us," Ghost teased, suggestively.

"Where are you getting at, Simon?" Roach asked suspiciously. Ghost winked at him and thrust his pelvis into Roach's. "No! No, no, no, no! Come on, I'm too tired for this! Aren't you?" the younger soldier whined.

"Oh, you know me. Could never pass up a chance with your nice piece of arse," he joked as he slid his hand down from where it was resting on Roach's waist to grope the other's butt gently.

"Simon!" Roach whispered harshly. Ghost chuckled when Roach attempted to swat his arm away while trying to keep from falling off of the couch. Ghost shrugged his shoulder and gave him a look as if he'd done nothing wrong.

"Come on, love, we'll keep the noise level down," he said as he nudged Roach onto his back and slide between his legs. Roach crossed him arms as he lay underneath Ghost refusing to dignify that statement with a reply.

"Look on the bright side: You're not even thinking about sleep now, right?" Ghost smirked down at him. He received a glare from the Sergeant. Ghost chuckled again and brought a hand up to ruffle Roach's messy, brown hair. He'd succeeded in completely breaking Roach's glare. "I was just joking, bug. And besides, I've got a better plan than a quickie on this dirty, old couch."

Roach looked up into Ghost's eyes hesitantly, but Ghost gave him no clues as to what he had in store for the young soldier. Ghost continued to stare mischievously down at Roach. He could practically feel the other radiating higher levels of nervousness as the seconds passed by.

Ghost could see Roach's green eyes dart around the room looking for an escape route, or even a ridiculous excuse of some sort, but he refused to let the young soldier go. He pinned Roach's arms above his head with one of his own and quickly secured the other's legs with his knees.

Ghost's eyes remained focus on Roach's face, taking in every twitch of expression the younger soldier unknowingly displayed, from surprise to confusion to straight out panic. It was extremely comical and he couldn't stop from grinning madly. The younger man was just too adorable for his own good.

"Simon, whatever the hell you are attempting, don't you dare! I'm too damn tired for this!" Roach tugged on his arms once more, trying to pull them free. "If you don't let me go right now, I swear I won't put out! I'll ignore you for a month!"

"Don't worry, Gary, it'll be okay. Everything will be okay," he gave him a thumbs up with his free hand and immediately shot for Roach's side, tickling him like there was no tomorrow.

"Ahh! Okay my ass! Nghh! Get off!" Roach whispered harshly. Ghost could feel Roach's body twitch away from his offending fingers, but he knew that wouldn't help him at all. The Brit continued to poke and prod all along Roach's side, never once giving him a chance to rest.

"Simon! Ahh, stop it! Nnn stop poking me, dammit! Hahaha!" Roach's cries grew louder into a mix of grunting, panting and laughing. Ghost noticed the other close his lips tightly. The little bugger was trying to quiet the lovely sounds he made! Ghost won't allow any of this nonsense!

"Not a chance, love, I quite enjoy doing this to you," Ghost smiled in amusement as he switched hands, the free hand now preoccupied with holding down the Sergeant while his other moved to tickle Roach's other side.

"Hah! Simon! No-! Ahh! Stop it! I'm too tired for this!"

"If you keep struggling, I'll only do it harder!" Ghost grunted as Roach twisted beneath him.

"How can I- nngh! Not struggle when you never give me- ahh! A chance to even catch my breath!?" Roach continued to struggle, trying to push the other off of him, but Ghost, the evil bastard he was, was unrelenting. The two were so caught up in their own world, they failed to notice the sound of heavy footsteps approaching until it was too late.

"What the bloody hell is goin' on here?" a rugged voice penetrated their ears like bullets and they froze immediately. Soap crossed his arms waiting for an answer. Ghost stared at the intruder in shock. Their captain had just walked in on them doing things men of their stature shouldn't even be thinking about and in such a compromising position no less!

Silence, except for Roach's heavy breathing, followed as the three men continued to stare at each other, unsure of what to do next. After taking a while to catch his breath, Ghost broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh bollocks, Soap, don't you know how to knock?" Ghost asked smirking at Roach's sudden nervous stupor and Soap's obvious discomfort. The Brit casually slid off of the younger man, and Roach looked at him in disbelief. Was Ghost really more worried about whether their Scottish captain remembered to knock than their outward risky situation?

Soap sighed. "Do I even want to know?" he asked taking in his men's disheveled appearance.

Roach shook his head frantically and Ghost chuckled, "Oh, don't worry, mate. I was just teaching Roach, here, a lesson for taking off my balaclava."

At that, Roach nodded his head desperately, hoping Soap would believe their story. Though, by the look Soap was giving them, Ghost could tell their captain thought they were a bunch of bloody morons. The situation was all too funny. Ghost tried hard to contain the laughter that bubbled within and threatened to explode. He had an image to uphold after all. Though, it was probably too late given the current predicament he was in.

Soap looked at them skeptically, but he let it slide. He'd had enough problems to deal with already, he didn't need another.

"Alright, no more commotion boys, I'm to finish some damn paperwork for tomorrow's mission. I can't keep running around the base because of you idiots. Off to bed, now, go on," the Captain pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and warned, "Also, meeting's at 06:00, don't be late."

Ghost quickly grabbed his balaclava and ushered for Roach to get up and leave while they still had some dignity, albeit a very minuscule amount, left.

On their way out of the recreation room, Soap called out, "Next time, don't be so damn loud. Better yet, don't do these things in public. The others will get weird ideas." He waved them off lazily.

Ghost saw Roach's cheeks redden all the way to his ears. He placed a hand on the younger soldier's shoulder preventing him from turning around and possibly making the situation worse. Roach looked at Ghost for an answer, but the Brit just shushed him and gave him a playful wink.

Once Soap was out of earshot, Roach let out the breath he didn't realize was holding and relaxed his tense body. "Damn, I didn't think we were gonna make it through the door!"

They continued walking until they reached Ghost's room. Ghost opened the door and they both headed inside.

Ghost chuckled, "Come on, Soap wouldn't do anything to us for that. Nothing even happened." He received a glare from Roach for that comment.

"This was your entire fault, you ass!"

"Oi, just be glad he didn't actually catch us going at it like he almost did last time. That'd be an even bigger mess. No way I can lie our arses out of that one, bug," the Brit mused.

"Simon! I'm being serious here! Even if it was just tickling, what if we had gotten in trouble? What if it had been Shepherd that found us instead of Soap? I don't even want to think about what would happen to us then…" Roach shifted his gaze downward to his feet.

Ghost sighed, "Sorry, love. I'm sorry. I don't want anything to happen to us either. I was just teasing you." Ghost pulled Roach into his arms and rubbed gentle circles along his back. For a while, they just stood there quietly in each other's arms. Every so often, Ghost would kiss Roach's head soothingly.

Roach sighed. "I guess…we'll just have to be more careful next time, right?" At Roach's reply, Ghost raised an eyebrow, and he backed up a little to get a better look at his lover's face. Roach grinned sheepishly and embraced the Brit tightly.

"Next time, eh?" Ghost chuckled and pecked Roach's forehead softly.

"The whole being trapped and tickled to death wasn't fun, but after all that happened today, it was a good distraction. You could have gone about it differently, but the look on Soap's face was worth it."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind, but I'm glad I was able to get your mind off of things." Ghost whispered. "Though, I do know a better method that will just blow your socks off." He reached over and locked the door to his room. "I swear to you, Gary, you won't regret it." Ghost tried to hold in his laughter at the suspicious stare Roach gave him. He winked at Roach playfully and brought his hand lower and lower down Roach's back.

Roach tensed up. Ghost's hand was slowly getting closer to Roach's bottom, and Roach couldn't help but think the situation felt all too familiar.

"Simon, you move that hand any lower, and I'll take a vow of abstinence," Roach threatened. Ghost immediately stopped his hand just above Roach's bottom, and Ghost knew he had lost. Roach smiled victoriously, "Now, let's go to sleep, or I'll end up passed out against your door."

Ghost chuckled, accepting defeat, "That'd be hilarious, though."

"Yeah, well, you'd be the one who has to carry me to bed."

"I wouldn't mind. In fact…" Ghost never finished his sentence. He hoisted Roach up into his arms and carried him bridal-style to the bed. Roach would have protested, but he was too far gone to argue with the Brit.

Ghost laid him down gently and climbed onto the bed to lie next to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around Roach who, in turn, nuzzled against his chest.

As Roach drifted off into a deep slumber, he mumbled out, "Night, Simon. Love you."

Ghost kissed Roach's head affectionately.

"Good night, love."


End file.
